Destined To Be
by Heart
Summary: They met 10 years ago...destiny brought them back together again...(AU)(Hikaru/Lantis pairing)
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Prologue**

The young Lantis Solville was just darn glad that he was finally permitted to leave the room. Of course, it was not expected for a boy in his fourteenth year to listen to the boring discussion his father and his friend was very much engaged to, yet he just _had_ to stay for the sake of formality.

He almost smiled as soon as he heard Lord Shidou suggest to his father that maybe the "…young Solville must be feeling quite bored and would like to explore the mansion…"---well, almost. He smiling would be definitely out of character…besides, he and his father had to decline, again for the sake of formality. Their host insisted though, and his father had no choice but to let him leave. 

And so the young Lantis Solville found himself walking with a youth of the same age as him, the eldest son of their host whose name he could not remember since he paid little attention when they were introduced.

The young Shidou, whatever his name was, started reciting their mansion's short history soon after they walked out of the room. The youth, who obviously had no interest on the task that was assigned to him, didn't even bother to fake his enthusiasm (or lack thereof). Instead, he spoke in a dry monotone that would have brought Lantis to sleep if only they were not walking. 

Lantis could not blame the boy for sounding so dull. If he was in his young host's position he would have sounded the same way himself…or even worse. Who would have ever considered the task as interesting anyway?

"…The old barn became like a big fencing hall after that…" he heard the young Shidou say to him. It was then that Lantis' mind stopped wandering. 

"A fencing hall, you say?"

"Yes, a fencing hall…" the boy answered him, now aware of the reason of his guest's sudden curiosity. "Do you fence, Solville?"

"Lantis, please. And yes I do. Do you?"

"As I told you earlier, my father teaches fencing. Therefore, I and my siblings were taught the art at a very young age. Why, even our youngest…"

"Satoru! Satoru!" a boy about two years younger than them was shouting as he ran towards them. 

"What is the matter, Masaru?" the elder boy, whom Lantis finally learned to be named as Satoru, asked the younger one.

"The Baron's son has been bullying Kakeru again…" Masaru said. After suddenly realizing that Lantis was also there, he lowered his voice as he continued, "…and you do know what happens after that…"

"Indeed I do…Where is Kakeru?"

"Pretty beaten up…I had Luke carry him to his room…but the problem is…"

Satoru then turned back to Lantis. "I am sorry but if you are willing to wait here I will continue the tour later on after I settle this…err…unexpected incident." 

Lantis silently nodded and watched the two boys leave towards the area where Satoru had said the fencing hall was located. It did not take long until he decided to follow them though…for he had a feeling that this 'unexpected incident' was something that he would not want to miss. 

"I thought you agreed to wait…" Satoru started to say.

Lantis shrugged and said, "I figured that if your father learns that I was left all alone all of a sudden…the result would not be pretty…"

Satoru sighed and then said, "Maybe it would be so.  I have no choice but to let you go with us although I have one favor to ask you…"

"What is it?"

"Not a word to my father about what you will see later on…"

"You have my word…"

"Over there brother!" Masaru said, pointing at what looked like a group of youngsters shouting and watching two young boys have a duel. "I tried to stop them…but I couldn't…" From what he was seeing, it was very clear to Lantis that the smaller boy was more skillful than his opponent and was currently winning the fight. Indeed this young boy was very talented in fencing and had already earned Lantis' admiration and respect.

"And nobody came to help you?"

"Well as you can see they are very busy watching…" The three ran to the ongoing commotion. "If Father learns of this…"

"You two! Stop this instant!" Satoru said, breaking off the two boys.

"But he started it!" said the younger one, who was a redhead wearing a cap. "He insulted Kakeru and started beating him up…"

"Your brother is a weakling!" said his opponent, a tall boy who seemed to be a very proud.

"Enough you two! Haven't Father told you that duels are not allowed in here?" Satoru said.  

"I was getting bored," the haughty boy replied with a smirk. 

"Just because you were getting bored William does not mean you can just beat someone up…"

"That's certainly right!" said the redhead.

Satoru then turned to the redhead. "And you! Look at you! If Father hears of this I do not know what will become of you!"

"But Brother…!!!" the boy whined.

"Go and get changed!"

With a deep sigh, the boy finally agreed, "Yes, Brother…"

"Ha-ha-ha!" William said. "That'll teach you to mess up with me, little one…"

"Why you…"

"That is enough! Go back to the house…now!" Looking at the group of boys who watched the fight a while ago, Satoru said, "Well? Your show is over. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Encouraging a fight like that…and you call yourselves gentlemen. Besides, all of you should be home by now. Practice sessions are over." Head bent low, the boys started leave.

"He was really good…the one with the red hair." Lantis commented to Masaru who was still standing beside him. 

"Oh yes…very good. She's almost as good as Satoru too."

"She?"

Masaru then started laughing out loud. "Hahaha! Oh sorry…Hahahaha!...But…that was really…Hahaha…our youngest sister…Hikaru. I don't really blame you if you mistake her as a boy though."

A girl? That redhead was a girl? Of course with the cap she was wearing, it wasn't obvious at all…and she was dressed like a boy.  "Your father taught her too?"

"It started out as something like of a game of 'pretend' at first. Father found it amusing to actually teach his daughter fencing. Eventually she ended up learning it with the other boys in the class…"

"So that boy, William, knew he was having a duel with a girl?"

"Yes…which makes him worse of a scoundrel he really is…But of course the other boys were very intimidated by him so nobody dared to contradict him. The Baron spoils his child rotten you know…"

"I noticed he was pretty proud…"

"Pretty proud you say? You are being too discreet…"

It wasn't so far away where William was sitting and looking for something else to do. Suddenly noticing Lantis, William approached him and then said, "You are new here…"

"You can say that."

"Do you fence?"

"Yes."

"Fence with me."

"No."

"Are you a coward?"

"No, I had just seen enough to know that it would be a waste of my time."

"He is not a student here William, but a guest of my father," Satoru said, which made Masaru quite glad for arriving at the right moment. "And I doubt that the knowledge of you treating the future Earl Solville in such a lowly manner would be good for your father's name. It is common knowledge that he is a distant cousin of the crowned Prince---distant, but a cousin nonetheless…Come Solville, let us continue the tour."

*          *          *

"What is this? Where is Hikaru?" their host asked his sons who are now sitting in front of the table. 

"She would be here soon Father," Satoru answered him, looking cautiously at Lantis. "She just needed to change since she came home quite filthy today."

"Papa!" they all heard someone shout behind them. 

"Ah! Here's my little girl By the way, this is Earl Glenn Solville, a great friend of mine. He and his son, Lantis, will join us for lunch."

"Aren't you that young man who was with my brother at the fencing hall?" the young girl inquired. Lantis noticed Satoru give his sister a sharp glare before he answered her question. 

"Yes."

"How did you like the tour Lantis?"

"It had been quite…interesting."

"I bet it was boring," the girl interjected.

"Hikaru! That is not how a lady should react! Go apologize to our guest at once!"

"But papa! I didn't say anything bad!"

"Do not contradict me, little one…"

"Sorry…"

Lantis almost smiled at the young girl after hearing her apology. It was as if she wasn't the same girl who was fiercely fencing with that William earlier. "I can see that you have one smart daughter there…" Lantis heard his father say. "How old is she now again?"

"She is in her eighth summer already…"

"Really, such an adorable little girl, don't you agree son?" Lantis could only nod in reply.  "Maybe in ten years or so, you might get to marry her…"

"Ewwwww!!!" they all heard the girl say.

"Hikaru!"


	2. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Chapter 1**

Lady Hikaru Shidou stared in awe at the enormous mansion in front of her. With her mouth wide open, she stood there, still could not believe that she would be residing in such a large house. Even her father's ancestral home could not compare to this one. 'It must be more beautiful inside…' she told herself.

The door suddenly opened, catching her by surprise and making her gasp out loud. She wasn't even able to do anything besides letting out a nervous laugh at the tall man with lavender hair scowling down at her.

"I…err…good day…" she finally managed to say. The man did not greet back though and continued looking at her with a frown. "Look sir, I do not think it is quite gentlemanly to stare at a lady like that." The frown was then replaced by an astonished expression. "I would like to see the Earl."

"I'm afraid that would not be possible, little Miss."

"It's Lady Hikaru Shidou, sir. I believe the Earl is expecting me."

"You…? You _are_ Lady Shidou?" The man then stepped aside to let her pass and at the same time took her luggage. He then said, "I will show you your room, my lady. The Earl specifically instructed me to lead you to his study afterwards." 

She found themselves walk past the lobby, then the dining hall, up the stairs and after what seemed to be twenty doors or so, they finally reached a door to what looked like an enormous room. The young butler led her inside, where a maid was waiting. "This is Marilyn and she is going to be your personal maid. In the meantime, we should hurry. The Earl does not want to be kept waiting."

Hikaru nodded and let herself be lead again. 'Living in a mansion like this would definitely take a lot of getting used to…' She gave a slight glance at the young man beside her, thinking of a way to strike a friendly conversation.

"Nervous, Madame? The Earl is really a very nice man, I assure you. Forgive me if I was rude to you earlier. It was just for the reason that we weren't expecting you until later this afternoon and the Earl is very particular about not letting any stranger inside the house…I had to admit it was quite stupid of me not to remember the short description that the Earl had given me about you…"

"But it was years ago when he last saw me!"

"I am quite aware of that." Hikaru couldn't help but blush as she remembered that the first time she saw him was when she was in the middle of a duel with some bully.

"Ah! Here we are!" She heard the butler say as he knocked at the door in front of them. After hearing a muffled, 'Come in!' from inside, he then turned the handle and led her in. "Lady Hikaru has arrived, my lord."

"Thank you Clef, you may now leave…" said the tall man looking out of the window. Clef then did as he was told, closing the door silently behind him. 

"Thank you," Hikaru told the butler in a soft voice.

After Clef left the room, the earl turned around to face her. His deep violet orbs froze her in her place---mesmerized. She wasn't sure of how many moments had passed before she finally heard him speak. "Please take a seat, Lady Hikaru…It has been a long time since we saw each other, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has, my lord," she replied, blushing terribly as the memory of their first meeting came to her mind again.

"I believe it was what? Eight? Nine years ago?"

"Almost ten years had passed, my lord."

"Yes, it had been a very long time indeed. I trust you had a good journey?"

"Yes, my lord."

"If I knew you were arriving earlier than expected, I would have sent a carriage to pick you up from the station."

"Clef did tell me that I was not expected to arrive 'til this afternoon."

"Indeed you were…but enough of that. I am relieved that you were able to arrive safely. I hope that the room that Clef had shown you is sufficient to your taste.  Otherwise I will have to tell the servants to arrange it in a manner of your liking.  Or, if it is too small I will have another one arranged that would more suit your needs."

"I assure you there is no need for that, my lord. My 'tastes', as you call them are very simple."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Very well…And please there is no need of such formality towards me, Lady Hikaru."

"As there is no need towards me," Hikaru retorted with a smile. "The truth is, I do not know what to call you.  If you were twenty years older, I would have called you 'Uncle', as you are now my guardian."

"Lantis would be fine."

"But my lord…!"

"As you said earlier, there is no need of strict formality between us. As my legal ward, you are now a member of my family and since I am too young to be called 'Uncle', I'd rather be called by my first name. You shall call me Lantis and I shall call you Hikaru, would that be fair enough?"

"I suppose…"

"Very well. Lunch would be served in half of an hour. Come…I will introduce you to my niece. She is currently in the nursery."

Both left the library together, and with Lantis leading the way, they headed towards the mansion's West Wing where the nursery was located.

"I mean no offense in this, but I would never understand why Father wanted me to have a guardian when I am old enough and very capable of taking care of myself and our old home…"

"Ladies of marriageable status like you should not live alone much more settle on not having a guardian. At least you have someone to guide you in choosing among the marriage proposals that you would be receiving hence a lesser possibility of being a victim of those vultures out there." 

"I know my judgment is good enough in those matters, Lantis. I am not that daft you know."

"I am not saying you are Hikaru. I'm just saying it would be much better to be safe. You have just had your entry in society a year ago, have you not?"

"Oh yes. I did wonder why you were not able to attend…"

"I was away doing some business. I've heard that you have had many suitors yet have been too picky that you have not accepted any of their proposals."

"I have no use for scoundrels like them. If I am going to marry someone like that, well, I suppose I'd rather be an old maid!"

"Ah…here we are…the nursery…Mira! Mira!"

"Coming Uncle!" a small voice from underneath the table said. What followed was a sound of shuffling of cloth, a huge bump, and then a shout of "OWW!" 

"Mira! What the he—heck are you doing down there?"

"Playing," Mira answered softly as she emerge, ruffled clothes and all, from her hiding place. Despite of her now filthy appearance, nobody could deny, with the girl's shiny blond hair and fair skin, that she was a very adorable little girl.

"But under the table?!" Lantis exclaimed.

"Shhhhh!!! Anastatia is sleeping."

"Don't tell me Anastatia is sleeping under the table?"

"But it's supposed to be bedtime for her now.  And it's night-time under the table."

"Anastatia is her doll," Lantis explained to Hikaru, who couldn't help but giggle.

"Who is she Uncle?"

"This is Lady Hikaru Shidou, a daughter of a very close friend of the family. She is going to stay with us from now on."

"Are you going to marry her Uncle?"

Again Hikaru giggled and then said, "No Mira, your Uncle is not going to marry me. Your uncle is my legal guardian, which means he will be helping me until I find a husband."

"Oh…too bad. I thought Uncle was going to marry you. I was quite happy that Lady Primera was not going to be my aunt…"

"Lady Primera?" Hikaru asked, an eyebrow raised.

"A friend. Mira, hurry now and change. We'll be having lunch soon."

"Yes Uncle. See you later, Aunt Hikaru…You really don't mind me calling you 'aunt' right?"

"No Mira, I'm quite glad."

"Good. See you!" The energetic child then ran out of the room. 

"Such an adorable little girl, she is." Hikaru said. 

"Yes. I have been taking care of her since…Anyway it had been years ago. Come, I'll show you the gallery…"

OHOHOHOHO! YES PEEPS! AM BACK! Hehehe…Ok so not quite…just a li'l bit…dun worry am gonna try to update as fast as I can so I won't keep you too much in the edge…hehehe…Oh btw, I've adjusted Hikaru's age a li'l bit to adapt to the plot and all…

ANGEL: Oh gee…thanks a lot! It's my first time to write a historical romance kinda thing so bear wiff me here k?

SHI: Thanks too…as I said I'll try to update as fast as I can

KAJI MIKAGE: Domo! Hehehehe…I dun feel that I write *that* good still actually…

LADY OF GENESIS: Oh yes…the "eww"…I kinda liked it too…And well…I…well…*blushes*…I really am not good still really…but thanks a lot!

GODDESSLD: You bet I will!

PSEUDONYM SYLPHMUSE: Ok…I hope I spelt ur nickie right…Thanks…And I will…

SUNDANCE33: Wow! I feel like I have a fan now or something! Hehehehe…Anyway, about the Neo-Magic Knights…I haven't really *discontinued* it…It's just my thing to write whenever I feel like it and well I'm just waiting for some kind of inspiration for it J I've finished chapter 4...I fink it's chapter 4…yeah…and well am still thinking if I would have it re-edited or something but I'd be posting that chapter one of these days…


	3. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Chapter 2**

Hikaru slowly opened her eyes and looked around her. "…Hope I didn't wake you up, m' lady," said the maid, who was placing a breakfast tray on the small table beside her.

"Marilyn isn't it…? No you didn't wake me up. I wasn't aware you were here until I heard you speak. What time is it?"

"It's quarter past eight, m'lady."

"I must have overslept…"

"Master 'ad ordered us to bring your breakfast 'ere, m'lady... was talkin' 'bout m'lady bein' exhausted from the long journey. The li'l miss was quite disappointed that m'lady wasn't able to join 'em at the dining room though…" 

"Poor Mira…Oh Marilyn, do prepare the hot water for my bath, will you?"

"Aye, I will, m'lady."

After finishing her breakfast and having her bath, Hikaru decided to explore her new house. She figured she would be living here for quite a while and it would naturally be necessary to know exactly where to go. She was surprised as soon as she left her room, however, to find the young Mira crouched beside her door. "Why Mira…What are you doing here?"

The young girl then stood up, smoothed her rumpled skirt, and smiled broadly at her. "I was waiting for you!"

"Waiting for me?"

"Yes! I volunteered to give you a quick tour of the mansion today and Uncle agreed. Isn't it lovely?"

"That was very sweet of you Mira."

"Oh I really wanted to do it, Auntie! I am very glad to have you living with us now. I was getting pretty lonely. Come!" And with that, Mira took Hikaru's hand and led her down the corridor.

* * *

The tour ended an hour before lunchtime. Mira had been a good hostess, stating the mansion's history and of how it got its name, Zephyr's Loft, with not only full knowledge of the subject but also with great enthusiasm on her task. 

"Indeed this house is quite large!" Hikaru told her young companion.

"Uh-huh…Oh there's Uncle's study! He specifically told me to bring you there after we finish our tour." Mira said, almost dragging Hikaru towards the door. 

"But shouldn't we knock the…" Hikaru said, but it was too late. Mira had already burst into the room, dragging Hikaru with her.

"My goodness, Lantis! Haven't you taught your niece some manners?!" 

"Oh for God's sake, Primera, she's only a child! Come Mira…Did you miss Uncle Eagle?"

Inside the study were Lantis and two more individuals---one was a beautiful lady with blue hair and elfin face, and the other was a handsome silver-haired man with light-brown eyes, with whom Mira obviously was very close. The young girl ran towards the man, and gave him a kiss on both cheeks. 

"And who is _she_?" said the woman, her eyes glaring at Hikaru.

"Forgive us for the intrusion," Hikaru then turned to Mira and said, "Maybe we should see your uncle later on…" Mira was too busy sticking her tongue out at the blue-haired lady though, to consider Hikaru's suggestion.

"That is not necessary," Lantis, who had been quiet all the while, finally said. "This is…"

"Eagle Vision, my lady. I am very honored to meet such a beauty…" the silver-haired gentleman said, who walked towards Hikaru and kissed her hand. "And this is my sister, Lady Primera."

"Lady Primera Vision, daughter of Duke Gregory Vision."

"Both are very close friends of mine since childhood," Lantis explained. "And this is my ward, Lady Hikaru Shidou."

"I am very pleased to meet you both," Hikaru said, at the same time, giving a graceful curtsey.

"Your ward Lantis? Why…she's probably as old as I am! And besides, when did this mansion become an orphanage?" Primera said, who continued on glaring at Hikaru.

"That is enough, Primera…" Eagle spoke in a very stern tone. "Ah! What time is it? I promised Father we'd be back before lunch. Come Sister…you know how Father hates waiting."

"But brother! I thought we…"

"_We are_ _going home," Eagle said. "Lantis, forgive me, I know I have already agreed on your offer of joining you for lunch but I just remembered my promise to Father. Goodbye Lantis...Lady Hikaru…Mira. I shall visit again tomorrow, my friend, that is, if you permit it…"_

"Whatever suits you," Lantis replied.

"It was really nice meeting you Lady Hikaru," Eagle told her, again kissing her hand.

* * *

"Why did we have to leave so early? I thought we both decided that we are going to have our lunch at Zephyr's Loft today," Primera told her brother, obviously disappointed.

"I had opted to leave before you totally embarrass us both!"

"What?!"

"You had been acting rudely to Lady Hikaru, which you should not have done since we are Lantis' guests."

"Don't tell me you fancy Lantis' current keep?"

"Keep?! Your jealousy had gone too far sister! How dare you insult our friend by saying that he keeps a whore in his house!"

"All right, I am sorry. But you will not make me start liking her!"

"Listen to me…Lady Hikaru is a decent young lady whose father was a close friend of the late Earl Solville. At least act civil with her for Lantis' sake."

"That I would not do. And you cannot make me."

"You are just jealous because as long as she is in the mansion, Lady Hikaru will unofficially be the mistress of Zephyr's Loft…a title you are so intent on getting!"

"What you say might be true. Haven't you seen how Mira looks up to her already? For this I already consider her as a threat. Lantis totally adores his difficult niece…he might consider taking Lady Hikaru to be his wife to please the child."

Eagle then laughed out loud. "I would never understand why you are so obsessed in becoming Lantis' wife."

"You can say whatever you want to say, my dear brother. But I want Lantis to be my husband and no one else! I will be Lady Primera Solville!"

* * *

Lunch had been delicious as usual, thanks to Lantis' brilliant cook. Mira hurriedly went back to the nursery to get ready for her lessons, leaving Lantis and Hikaru behind. "How was the tour?" Lantis asked.

"Oh it was lovely. Mira had been a good hostess."

"I am glad you enjoyed it. I am also glad that my niece had taken a liking to you. Mira is very picky when it comes to liking people…Such a beautiful day today to go riding."

"I agree…"

"Well then I've been thinking of riding a little bit later this afternoon. You can join me if you want."

"That would be very nice!" 

"Well then, I will meet you at 3 o'clock at the stables. I figured Mira had told you where it is."

"Yes…"

"Until then, Hikaru."

* * *

Hikaru found Lantis inside the stable, petting a black horse on its head and feeding it straight from his own hands. "Did I make you wait too long?" she asked.

"Actually, you did not. I purposely went here earlier."

"Is he your favorite?"

"You could say that…Lightning Strike is half-wild though, I am the only one who can handle him." Spotting a mare with reddish-brown skin at the corner of the stable, Hikaru quickly approached it. "That one is Flame. You can ride her if you want."

"She is very lovely."

"Yes she is. I figured you'd like her so I bought her."

"You don't mean…"

"It's a gift. She is yours."

"But I could not possibly accept…"

"You could…and you would. Now come…"

* * *

"Do you still fence?" she suddenly heard Lantis ask. 

"Why?"

"Nothing…I am just curious…To tell you honestly, I had been wondering how a man of such a prominent family would had let his only daughter learn fencing…and even taught her himself." 

"I made every nanny he hired gave up on me…and pestered him about teaching me everyday."

"Honestly?"

"Well that and well…you see he had loved my mother dearly, and before she passed away, he promised he would personally take care of all of us…especially me. He did that in his own way and not knowing how to raise a girl, he unconsciously raised me as somewhat his son. He never remarried, and I never had a female influence until the time my father thought I was ready to have a female companion. I was thirteen then. Lady Caldina stayed with me until a few months after I was introduced to society." 

There was silence between them for a while, until Lantis finally said, "You miss him don't you?"

"Yes…him and my brothers. There had been a time…I wished I had died with them."

Lantis just nodded. He understood how she had felt…

I might start posting this fic a lil bit slower than usual…and no, it's not that I had been flamed (snickers)…I had asked bishounen_lovah to proofread my work somewhat so it might take time ne? Anyways…I'll post the next chappie and the edited ones…as soon as I can. Oh btw…this is obviously an AU fic so…*edited*

BOOBOO: thanks love…BE NICE and I love you.

LADY OF GENESIS: Thanks…and well making Primera married to Lantis would probably frustrate lotsa ppl ne? Including me of course…hehehe…And I'll continue…What makes you think I won't?

PSEUDONYM SYLPHMUSE: Introducing Lady Primera Vision! J

GODDESSLD: Thanks!

ANGELSTARHIKARU: Thanks for putting me on your list!

MEL: Thanks a lot fer the compliments…

LILIA: Here's another chappie for you.

SCRYBE: This is obviously an anime/manga based AU fanfiction so I think there is no crime on what I did. Anime/manga tend to have messed history up more than I had (not to mention mess up lots of literary classics that would have made the original authors rise from their graves)…and much more fanfics who had done worse too. I have done this because I have targeted my readers as anime/manga lovers who have an open mind for these kind of stuff…

I am not writing a book nor am I going to submit this to some professor. I know my English professor would not appreciate this one…unless of course he/she likes anime. 

I haven't claimed and I am not claiming that I am a literary genius… I admit that I have erred in some parts of my fic (most of the times grammatical ones)…but not ALL of it. I am uploading my fic so that I would learn more and improve my writing style. Besides, how can I practice if I don't write and not let others read it?

And man, if a 7 year old could write with a plot like that...I'd be really really really in awe with the kid…I mean…wouldn't you?

As for watching my "gramer" and how I "asumably" made errors in every "sentance"…Well at least I got most of my spelling right :P I should be given credit for that at least ;) And also, if I could remember it right, my grammar teacher told me about exceptions on the grammatical rules you had been talking about…and sometimes I had felt that I had used those switchings with those exceptions in mind. 

If you think my fic is "a pain to read" then don't read it. Doing that would save you time and also effort in reading such an eyesore and of course typing such a long review…Instead, I suggest you write your own fic that would satisfy your grammatical error-free taste…And man, you did waste a lot for such a low-caliber fanfiction (Right guys?). Tata!:P


	4. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Chapter 3**

Lantis opened the door to his terrace and went outside.  As he looked up at the star-filled sky, he remembered the times when he and his brother would pretend to be asleep and then sneak out afterwards to watch the stars.

"Life had not been fair to you, Brother," Lantis said. "I remember how you smiled at me with those sad eyes and told me everything was going to be all right before you left to fulfill Mother's dying wish and became a priest. Those same sad eyes you had when you faced the guillotine for a crime you did not commit yet had admitted to have done…all in the name of Love."

---__

_He almost did not recognize the man lying down on the floor of the prison cell. Lantis found himself speechless. He watched the man in front of him---who was panting and coughing in an almost alternate pattern---put his arms around himself for some warmth. The man's robe was covered in dirt and dried blood---its back torn, revealing a bruised and wounded flesh. _

_Finally, after recovering from the sight that he had not been expecting to see, Lantis was able to speak. "Brother?" he called in a soft voice._

_"Lantis! Is that you?" _

_The prison guard beside Lantis opened the cell and let him enter. "Just call me once you are through."_

_Lantis nodded and then walked towards his brother. "Zagato…" Lantis hurriedly went to Zagato's side to aid him when his brother failed in his pitiful effort to rise from his position. He finally realized that his brother's difficulty was due to the fact that his brother must have suffered from frequent flogging._

_"Come, let me see you…My…how you have grown! How did you find out I was here? Is Father with you?" _

_"Uncle Conrad helped me find you. Father…he had died a few months ago."  _

_The room became silent for a few minutes after Lantis had said this. "I see…So you are now the earl."_

_"The title was meant to be yours."_

_"The moment I had become a priest I had renounced the right to the title and material possessions of the Solville family. You know that very well."_

_"I had been looking for you since Father died. At first, Uncle Conrad did not approve of this but you are aware of the fact that I will not let myself be stopped."_

_"That is true."_

_"But what happened? They said horrid things about you." Zagato just smiled sadly at Lantis. "Please tell me the truth brother. I want to help you."_

_Zagato took a deep breath and then said, "I am here on my own free will. It is my choice to die in the name of Love."_

_"I do not understand…"_

_"One day, my brother, you will meet someone to whom you would be willing to give up everything…everything…"_

_"That is nonsense! I'll get you out of here. I'll…"_

_"It is too late, Lantis. Listen to me, at four o'clock this afternoon I will face the guillotine."_

_"This should not be! I have not heard of any trial for your defense!"_

_"That is true. The Church would no allow such a thing. It would have been a great disgrace if the public knew of this. Nevertheless, the sentence had been released: I am to be executed this afternoon."_

_"But Brother…"_

_"I have one favor to ask you, please do not deny me…In the village of Ellionet, north of this city, lives a woman named Cecille. It is just a small village so you can just ask around and they will tell you where to find her. Introduce yourself as the brother of the priest Zagato…Are you listening to me?"_

_"Yes…yes brother…"_

_"Give her this letter. Tell her you have come for the woman and the child. Please take them back with you, brother. Will you do this for me?" _

_"Yes. But will you at least tell me the reason for all this?"_

_"Have you heard of Emeraude of Syph?"_

_"Yes."_

_"I have never seen a soul as pure as hers. That was what had deeply attracted me to her."_

_"Is she the woman that they said you have ruined?"_

_"I was a confessor at the convent. We were both young and lonely and eventually our hearts became close. We knew our love was doomed from the start but our feelings for each other were just too strong. She ended up carrying my child._

_We were able to hide it for months. The swelling of her womb was not obvious, you see---We had it all planned. She was to leave the convent to manage an orphanage, which was supposed to be financed by some anonymous sponsor. I, in turn, would leave for the reason that I was to have a pilgrimage somewhere far away. I almost had everything arranged for the birth of our child, but one of the nuns was able to notice her condition earlier than we had expected._

_This nun had noticed the unusual closeness between Emeraude and me. She had accused Emeraude for breaking her vows. 'No other sin would be as great as the sin of two holy servants surrendering to the call of the flesh,' she had said. And the child out of such union is considered an abomination. They had locked her in her chamber and forbid her to see anyone…_

_Before anything else drastic could be done to her and my child, I had decided to bring all the blame on me by writing a forged letter, supposed to be from Emeraude. Then I had Cecille, a woman both Emeraude and I had trusted, to deliberately give it to the head of the convent, telling them that it was Emeraude who had asked to give her the letter. It was stated in that letter that it was I who ruined Emeraude despite of her protests…and the reason that I was always by her side was to make sure that she told no one of what was going on."_

_"Brother…"_

_"Since Emeraude had no fault, they decided to send her away. She had no place in the convent because she had been stained…that was what they told her and nothing more. It was Cecille who took her in after that. Emeraude had no idea of what I had done. I was flogged, excommunicated then was sent here, sentenced to die like a criminal._

_To know that both my Emeraude and our child would be in safe hands would really make me glad. It makes my death easier to accept." Again, Zagato smiled. "I really do apologize that our reunion was not as happy as we both had thought it would have been little brother…"_

---

Lantis did manage to keep his promise. Cecille had told him that Emeraude only learnt of Zagato's sacrifice after she had given birth to the lovely baby Mira. The people at the convent never mentioned the incident since it was considered to be a disgrace to the Church. _"After learning the truth, Emeraude, at her very weak state, went into a deep depression and eventually died from a broken heart," _Cecille had said_._

With the help of his uncle and grand-aunt, he had managed to move both his brother's and Emeraude's remains to a burial place he had built for them just a few distances away from the mansion itself. That couldn't be done without serious bribing to the authority involved---an act he had utterly despised. But to appease his brother's soul, he would do anything. 

His uncle and grandaunt also helped him with the legalities regarding the guardianship of his niece. They had made it appear that the child was an orphaned daughter of a relative to prevent any more rumors to spread out. 

A strong gust of wind blew his way, as if his brother was making his presence felt. Indeed if the concept of spirits were true, Lantis would have believed that his brother was trying to comfort him. "You said you had done all of it in the name of Love…but still I cannot understand. I know that you are happier now and yet I still could not convince myself to feel happy for you. Tell me brother, am I wrong for feeling this way?"

But the wind did not answer him. Instead, it just gradually faded away…

*          *          *

_"Where am I?" Hikaru blinked as she found herself surrounded by complete darkness. Clad with nothing but her nightgown, the chill in the air made her shiver. "What am I doing here?"_

_Thinking that staying where she was would get her nowhere, she decided to maybe feel her way as she walked through the darkness. It might be dangerous. Nevertheless, she was determined to leave the place…wherever this place was._

_She took the first step, holding her hands out to "feel" any huge obstruction she might encounter. There was suddenly a flash of light that came out of nowhere and blinded Hikaru for a few seconds. As soon as she was able to, she slowly opened her eyes and let them adjust to the light._

_She was greeted by a soft draft of sea breeze. She found herself at the edge of a cliff overlooking the vast ocean. A familiar ship caught her eye however, making her gasp out in surprise._

_'No…It cannot be!' She immediately rubbed her eyes and again looked at the ship slowly approaching. Indeed there was no mistake---It was Undine, the ship that was said to have sunk, causing the death of her father and her brothers._

_She could feel her heart beat twice as fast and tears of happiness started to flow from her eyes---'They are alive!'_

_She did not pay attention to the sharp stones and pebbles that her bare feet had to step on. Nor did she pay attention to the difficulty her long nightgown had made her suffer as she ran down the narrow path towards the shore._

_Her happiness did not last for long for the solid land she was running on, in some mysterious way, started to disappear, making her fall straight into the water below her._

_She found that part of the ocean unusually deep. It was as if she really was not close to the shore at all. She started to panic, and forced herself to swim upwards but to no avail. She realized that something was actually pulling her down. She then looked below her to see what it was…_

_It didn't take her long to see that there was a hand clutching tightly on her leg…A hand that belonged to the rotting corpse of her father._

_*          *          *_

Lantis' silent solitude was suddenly interrupted by a disturbing scream coming from the mansion. "Hikaru!" 

He quickly ran inside the house and towards Hikaru's room. Inside he found Marilyn coaxing Hikaru to sip fro the glass of water the maid held near her lips. "What happened here?" 

"M'Lady 'ad a nightmare, m'Lord," the maid answered. His gaze shifted to Hikaru, who was awfully pale and obviously still in shock. 

"Hikaru…"

"I…I am sorry for disturbing your sleep. I'll be alright now; you need not worry about me."

"You did not disturb anything." Lantis then turned to Marilyn and said, "You will have to stay awake and watch over her for tonight. Lady Hikaru might need company in case such…incident happens again." 

"Aye m'Lord."

"Aunt Hikaru!" they heard Mira say as she entered the room. The child then ran towards Hikaru's bed and then said, "I heard you scream, Auntie. What happened?"

"Your Aunt Hikaru had a nightmare, Mira."

"I am fine now, Mira," Hikaru said, forcing a smile.

"Marilyn. Go get the things you might need to stay awake…Mira and I will keep Hikaru company in the meantime."

"Aye m'Lord." The maid then quickly left the room.

"You are not really scared now, are you?" Mira asked Hikaru.

"No, Mira."

"Uncle Lantis can make the nightmares not come anymore," the child said.

"Really?"

"Really! Whenever I have nightmares, Uncle Lantis comes and kiss me here…" Mira said pointing at the middle of her forehead. "…and the nightmares don't come anymore."

"Oh…" Hikaru blushed.

"I think you should let Uncle Lantis to kiss you there too…"

"I do not think it will work on her case, Mira," Lantis said, his face also slightly coloring up.

"Why not? It always does for me…"

"Well…you see…It doesn't usually work with an adult Mira," Hikaru managed to explain.

"Why are you your faces all red?" Mira asked.

Lantis and Hikaru were saved from the question by the knocking on the bedroom door. "Come in!" Marilyn then entered the room. "Ah…here's Marilyn. Come Mira, you should go back to sleep now. It's too late for you to be still awake."

"But Uncle! I want to stay!"

"Aunt Hikaru needs some rest Mira. And you do too. Hurry now…Say goodnight to your Aunt Hikaru."

"Oh well…alright…Goodnight Aunt Hikaru."

"Goodnight Mira."

"Goodnight Hikaru."

"Goodnight Lantis."

"Aren't you going to try to make her nightmare go away?"

"Mira!"

---(@)---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: WAAAIIII!!! Sorry to keep you all waiting… Here it is…I repeat…It _is_ an AU fic…


	5. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Chapter 4**

"Your grand-aunt you say?" Hikaru asked, placing her now empty tea cup back on the saucer in front of her. 

Lantis nodded, signaled the maid to pour more tea, turned to Hikaru and said, "My guardianship over you would be less questionable if I name an elderly member of my family as a co-guardian. Aunt Felicity was very kind to agree to be that person. Of course, she is the only person I can turn to regarding this matter, being the only living close relative I have." 

"No Becky, I have had enough tea already this morning. Thank you," Hikaru told the maid beside her, who was about to add more tea in her cup. After this she turned her attention back to Lantis and asked, "So, she'll be arriving this afternoon?" 

"Indeed she will be. She was supposed to be here the day before your arrival but some unexpected incident had postponed her journey."  

"What do you think of this Mira? Are you glad that your Aunt Felicity is going to live with us now?" Hikaru asked the child on her left, who was somewhat busy coaxing her doll to eat a small piece of toast in her hands. 

"I like Aunt Felicity," Mira replied, not stopping from the task she was trying so hard to do. 

"Mira, how many times do I have to tell you to stop playing with your doll in front of the dining table?" Lantis told his niece. 

"But Uncle, Anastatia is hungry." 

"Mira…" Lantis said, in a firm, warning tone. 

"Oh alright…but it's your fault if Anastatia gets sick," the child answered, pouting. 

*** 

Mira sat silently in the parlor as she stared at Hikaru who was walking back and forth. Her poor aunt seemed to be quite nervous since she had been doing this for quite a while, sometimes stopping to sit for a few minutes and then standing up to start walking again. "Don't worry, Aunt Felicity is really nice," the child said, hoping that it would calm Hikaru somewhat. 

"Thank you Mira, but I am not really worried at all." 

Mira blinked and then shrugged. "If you say so…" 

It did not take long when Clef entered the room, announcing that he just saw the Earl's carriage approaching Zephyr's Loft. Mira continued watching her aunt, who, after thanking the butler, had started to walk in a faster pace---wringing her fingers at the same time. Mira sighed. 

*** 

Lady Felicity May Solville Corder, younger sister of the late Earl Gordon Solville, was a plump, cheery lady in her early sixties. Her obviously once black hair, now mostly silver from aging, was tied in a tight bun on top of her head, emphasizing her round, rosy cheeks. Her green satin gown fitted her perfectly despite of her stout, round frame; one can tell that she had been quite a very handsome woman in her early years. 

"Aunt Felicity!" Mira said, running towards her and then welcoming her with a warm hug and a kiss on both of her cheeks. 

"Mira! My, what a beautiful little girl you are!" she said, kneeling down and trapping the child in a tight embrace. 

"Mira had missed you a lot. She had been begging me to visit you for quite a while now," her nephew informed her. 

"Shame on you, Lantis! You should have brought her to me more often," she replied, letting out a loud laugh afterwards. Her eyes drifted to the unusually pale young redhead who was with Mira. She released Mira and stood up. "You must be Hikaru." 

"Yes I am, Lady Corder." 

Again she laughed out loud, approached Hikaru, and gave her a tight hug---too tight that it was almost suffocating. "No need to be too formal, dear. I am your guardian after all. Just call me Aunt Felicity." After releasing Hikaru, Felicity turned to her nephew and said, "You did not tell me that our ward is a very handsome lady, Lantis. No wonder your father had considered an engagement between the two of you." 

"I was merely fourteen years of age back then, Auntie. She was, more or less, an eight-year old girl. Father was just teasing." 

"Ah, look! Hikaru is blushing! Do not fret so much, dear. Like his Father, I love to tease my nephew about those things…Ah! I smell newly baked cookies!" 

"I asked Julie to bake them for you since I know they are your favorites. Let's go have our afternoon tea, shall we?" 

*** 

Hikaru found Lantis' grandaunt very amusing. Aunt Felicity's cheerful attitude brought much life to the regular afternoon tea as the old lady laughed, talked and teased her nephew about still being single at his age. "You'd better get one soon, my dear nephew, or you will end up being too desperate to have an heir that you will end up marrying Lady Primera," Aunt Felicity said with a chuckle. 

"I do not think I'd end up desperate, Aunt Felicity," Lantis said, his face expressionless. "I can always declare Mira to be my heir; she is a Solville after all."  

"I don't like Lady Primera. She's mean," Mira announced, a frown pasted on her face. 

"Of course you don't, sweetie. But you are not the one who is going to marry her, your uncle is." 

"Uncle, promise me you won't marry her…" Mira pleaded as she tugged on her uncle's arm. 

"Well if you don't like her, who will you want your uncle to marry then?" Hikaru asked the child. 

"I wouldn't mind if Uncle marries you, Aunt Hikaru. You're really nice." 

---

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So why did it take too much time to update? I apologize but I really have no excuse except that I've been too lazy and too uninspired. Hehehe. I'm trying to improve my writing style though…but then I am still not satisfied.

BOO: Thanks for always being there. You are my inspiration.

Bishounen_lovah: Ang bait mo talaga! 

Pseudonym Sylphmuse: Here's the next chappy, hope you like it! 

Meimu_Akari: Yes, I'm back. Thanks for tagging in me bloggie too.

Angelmoon: H/L/E? Maybe…

Bunnie: Jane Eyre? LoL! I am not *that* good so that my work would compared to those kinds of novels. I am very flattered though.

Chewy-baka: Thanks.

Mooneyouki: Here's another update.

Shadow Knight: Thanks for reading. 


	6. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Chapter 5**

Hikaru was surprised to see Lantis' seat empty that morning when she came down for breakfast and was informed that the Earl would not be joining them that day as he already dined and left the mansion. Mira, who seemed to have taken advantage of his uncle's absence, had started on her childish play of "feeding Anastatia her breakfast".

"So, he only decided to go there today for this week…" Aunt Felicity murmured, stirring the tea in her cup, as if lost in her own thoughts. 

"Go where, if I may ask?" Hikaru inquired.

The old lady blinked as she heard Hikaru, halted her absent-minded action and then said, "It's nothing, dear…" Aunt Felicity laughed and then told her, "Don't you just love this bread, dear? Julie is truly a genius when it comes to cooking." 

Hikaru immediately noticed Aunt Felicity's attempt to change the topic. She decided not to pry on the subject though and nodded in agreement to her lady-guardian's last statement. She then turned her attention to the busy child beside her and said, "Mira, I think you should finish your breakfast first before playing with Anastatia."

***

The sky was clear, the weather warm and sunny. Hikaru sat comfortably underneath the tallest oak tree in the garden, enjoying its shade and the fresh spring breeze that blew her way. She smiled as she watched Mira's unsuccessful chase of a yellow butterfly. 

When the child asked if she would want to come to the gardens with her, Hikaru just could not refuse. Unfortunately, Aunt Felicity could not join them that morning.

At last, Mira gave up and skipped towards Hikaru. "Tired?" Hikaru asked the child. 

"No, I'm not." The girl sat on the spot beside Hikaru. "Uncle always tells people that I never get tired." 

Hikaru giggled. Every time she saw this child, she always remembered how she was when she was at Mira's age. "I suppose that is because you are strong and healthy and likes to play very often."

"I want to be as strong as my Uncle, stronger even…"

"Oh? And why is that?"

"So that I can protect the people I care about. Uncle told me that. He said I should grow up strong so I can protect the people I care about the most. He says many clever things. I mean, he doesn't really talk often but he talks to me a lot." The child suddenly stood up, ran a few steps away from the spot they were sitting on and picked up something from the ground. 

She came back, showing Hikaru a piece of branch in her hand. It was about two feet long and about half an inch thick. Hikaru raised an eyebrow.

"I want to learn how to fight like my Uncle does," the child asked. Mira, with her feet far apart and her left hand raised above her head, held the branch with her right hand, thrusting and striking at an invisible opponent. "Once when we were going home from a vacation at Aunt Felicity's house, bad men came and tried to hurt us. My Uncle fought with them…like this…"

Having been taught fencing since she was small, Hikaru observed that Mira's swordplay was impressive compared to an untrained boy at her age. Hikaru stood up all of a sudden. When the child noticed this, she stopped what she was doing.

"Usually, women are not taught how to fight…" Hikaru started to say. "…The reason for this is that men had made it their duty to protect our kind. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Mira answered, "I…I think so…"

"To fight in order to protect---that is the main reason for learning the art of fencing. You should use your weapon to protect the weak, your loved ones, your honor, your principles, and also your country. You use this skill of which you are taught whenever you feel in your heart it is necessary." Hikaru held out her hand. "Let me…"

Mira handed her the branch. Smiling, Hikaru assumed an offensive position, that is except for her left hand above her head, she used it to lift her skirt a bit, to avoid tripping. "You should always start on guard, with enough defensive distance from your opponent, if possible." She then began her graceful dance which consists of series of swift thrusts and strikes, knees always slightly bent, sometimes moving forward or backward. It was amazing in a way that Hikaru had not lost her footing despite of her long gown. There was no trace of difficulty on her face in fact; her actions remained smooth and elegant, leaving the child watching her in complete awe.  

Hikaru's excellent display was interrupted by a sound of applause from behind them. Hikaru and Mira turned around and saw Lord Eagle of Autozam standing there. With him was Aunt Felicity, who was smiling broadly at them. "Beautiful! Very impressive I must say!" he said, clapping his hands at the same time.

"Uncle Eagle!!!" Mira exclaimed. The child's attempt to deliver a curtsey became more of a quick bob. Mira did not bother to correct herself though, and ran towards the man. 

"Ah getting lovelier as usual, Mira," Eagle said as he took the young girl's hand. "Good day, Lady Hikaru," he greeted her with a graceful bow.

"Good day, Lord Eagle," she replied, never forgetting to deliver the usual curtsy. "Aunt Felicity…"      

"Such a beautiful day, isn't it Hikaru? Lord Eagle here was kind enough to escort this old woman for a walk in the gardens," Aunt Felicity said, laughing out loud afterwards.

"About what you have seen earlier…I…" Hikaru started to say.

"I do not see the reason for it to reach other people's ears, don't you think so too Lord Eagle?" Aunt Felicity said in a tone higher and firmer than usual. 

"I agree," the man replied, smiling at Hikaru at the same time. "We have to keep a secret now Mira, all five of us." Eagle winked at the little girl.

"Five?" Mira asked.

"Of course! Me, your Aunt Hikaru, your Aunt Felicity, you…and don't forget your Uncle Lantis. He should know too."

The child nodded.

"Actually, he already knows," Hikaru said. "He saw me fence when he came to visit us with his father a long time ago."

"Ah! So that is why!" Eagle suddenly exclaimed. 

"What?"

"Yes Eagle? What is it?" Lantis, who was just walking towards their group, asked.

"It…it is nothing," Eagle replied, and looked away. 

"Hikaru here was just telling us about your visit with your father to their house," Aunt Felicity smiled quite knowingly at Lantis. "Eagle here must have remembered something that you must have told him at that time."

Lantis' face suddenly turned red for some reason, and then glared at his friend. "I see." 

Hikaru looked at Eagle, who was somewhat trying to avoid his friend's gaze and at Lantis, who seemed to be uneasy about something.

------------------------

Pseudonym Sylphmuse - Here's to little, mischievous, match-making nieces *cheers*!!!

LieskTenshi no Earth - well thanks a lot. the grammar-issues sometimes just won't go away anyways...hahahaha. i'm trying to keep 'em at the minimum.

Anyways, I'm glad you liked the story. 

hagane - Domo! And no, i find it quite amusing when i see ppl getting hyper (especially after reading my fickie)...i tend to be overly hyper myself.

kamazova - ahh...yes...livelier Hikaru, i'd keep that in mind in the next chappies. 

Miemu Akari - *scratches her head* Miemu. Miemu. Miemu. There, that'll make me remember. I hope you like this chappie, Miemu-chan!

bishounen lovah - bishi-chan!!!! sorry for the late updates, me been doing some reading on some fencing stuff and as am trying to improve me style a bit, am still having a hard time being more descriptive.

bunnie-wunnie - i try to make Aunt Felicity sound funny. i was thinking of making her pretend to be deaf too but well...i cancelled the thought. hehehe.

GoddessLD - here it is! latest chappie. hope ya like it!


	7. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Chapter 6**

Clef was walking along the carpeted corridors of Zephyr's Loft's west wing when something caught his attention. He sighed, stopped, and then ran his forefinger along the surface of the small, round table beside him. He raised his hand after that and frowned, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together. 'Remember to talk to the new maid about this,' he told himself.

Again, he started walking. 'Lord Lantis should be back soon.'

The Earl had left early that morning. For the last six years, he would leave Zephyr's Loft, once every week, just as soon as the sun rises. He would come home, looking paler and gloomier than usual, lock himself inside his study and would not bother to leave the room after that except when it was time for him to retire to his sleeping chambers. 

These were the days when servants spoke in whispers and almost tiptoed about the place, careful not to spoil the Earl's chosen solitude. Mira, having been brought at the mansion at a tender age, had grown to believe that this was just a normal occurrence, and had not asked her uncle about it at all. She too, during these days, would try to be more silent while inside the house, as if following some unspoken custom.

Then of course there was Clef, who made it his task to make sure that the Earl was not disturbed, and that the servants would keep their mouths shut about the matter. He was one of the chosen few, after all, who knew the truth. The Earl's 'mysterious trips' were just a part of the secret that the Earl, Lady Felicity, Master Eagle, himself, and the two unmarked graves in the woods a few distances away from Zephyr's Loft share.

*          *          *

The day went contrary to what he had planned, or rather, to how it had always went after visiting his brother's and Emeraude's grave, despite of it starting out the usual way. He had put the flowers he had brought with him on the graves and talked to its owners as if they were alive---mostly to his brother---telling them about Mira, Hikaru and Aunt Felicity. He left the gravesite without the same feeling of utter sadness though, something that was very unusual indeed.

When Lantis came home and was on his way to the house itself after taking his stubborn beast back in the stables, he passed by one of the garden walls and heard Hikaru's voice talking to Mira about fencing. He had seen Eagle's horse earlier, and was concerned that his best friend would find out Hikaru's hidden skill. This would not be very good. The heir of the Duke of Autozam had a very good memory, and was definitely not daft. Once Eagle was able to put two and two together, the results would not be pretty---at least for Lantis.

And the Earl was right. Eagle had found out. And now, instead of spending his whole day alone in his study, Lantis was walking in the gardens with his best friend, Hikaru and his family, making sure that Eagle would not dare say anything about what the Earl had told him almost ten years ago.

-           -           -

_He was sitting on the ground, leaning on his most favorite tree in his father's garden. Despite of him being very much awake, both of his eyes were closed, his lips slightly curved in a form of an almost invisible smile and his hands were raised behind his head, acting as a cushion._

_ "Aha! There you are!"_

_Lantis__ slightly opened his left eye for a while then closed it again after recognizing the young, silver-haired boy of fourteen that was coming towards him. Really! Eagle's ability to always spoil his moments of serenity had never failed to amaze Lantis. "What do you want?"_

_"Why, you sound as if you are not glad to see me," the Duke of Autozam's heir said in a voice filled with mocked sadness._

_"Eagle…"_

_"Is it wrong that I would want to visit my friend? You are being difficult as always, Lantis." Lantis sighed, opened his eyes and then glared at the now smirking Eagle who had managed to sit beside him and get comfortable. "How was your journey, my friend?"_

_"It was interesting, Eagle," the young Solville answered, his irritation forgotten as his visit with the Shidou's was mentioned. Again, an almost invisible smile appeared on his face as he remembered his host's youngest daughter. "Very interesting."_

_"My sister had been looking for you, as expected. I told her you left so that your father could arrange a wedding for you. She was bawling terribly after that," Eagle told him, and then laughed afterwards. "I really do think that my sister had fallen for you."_

_"You are mad. She is not even thirteen."_

_Eagle stopped laughing and then said with a serious face, "She is really fond of you, and it is a major possibility that she would completely fall in love you once she grows up." _

_"I am very sorry, Eagle…" Lantis said, understanding what Eagle was trying to tell him. Eagle did not reply. "My father is considering an engagement between me and his friend's daughter." _

_"Ah!" Eagle immediately understood._

_ Eagle had always been the perceptive one. As perceptive as Lantis is idealistic, their parents had always said. Both were equally mature compared to boys their age. Maybe that was why they became best of friends. They would have moments such as this, talking as if they were complete adults. "Knowing you, you had objected of course."_

_Lantis__ just shook his head. _

_"But why?!"__ Eagle exclaimed. "You are the last person I know who'd agree on such an arrangement, Lantis. Remember when we were young? I teased you about marrying my sister and you told me that you would only marry a noble girl who is equally-skilled in sword-handling as you are." His friend's reaction surprised Lantis. _

_"This girl is a skilled swordswoman despite of her still being a child, Eagle."_

_"That's just silly!" Lantis ignored his friend. "You should at least like someone before you consider marrying them!"_

_"If I didn't like her I would not agree on marrying her, you dolt!" Lantis took a deep breath before he continued, "I like her enough, in fact, that I did not mind it when Father presented the idea to me."_

_"She is just a child, Lantis, you said so yourself."_

_"Nor am I a full adult…I could wait until we are both of age. I do not mind waiting. I believe she would grow into a very lovely lady when that time comes."_

_"You sound as if you are in love with that girl already."_

_"I do not know if I am. As I said, she is just a child. But I feel..." Lantis paused for a while, trying to find the right words to express himself. "I feel, I had found my equal and that is why I found myself quite fond of her."_

_-           -           -           _

Lantis stole a glance at Hikaru. Yes, it had been a long time since he first saw her. Almost ten years, she told him so herself. Back then, he and his father had an agreement that they would propose an engagement to Lord Shidou once both Lantis and Hikaru are of age. '…Which would have been now,' Lantis told himself. But both his father and hers were dead. And he was now her guardian—a situation he had not expected to be in.

Of course, he had pushed away the thought of marrying Hikaru a long time ago—after his brother's death, to be exact.

"…How about we have a ball? Don't you think it's a good idea, my dear nephew?"

"A ball?" he asked.

"Yes!" Lantis frowned. "No, no, nephew. No frowning. It's a good way to attract suitors for our dear Hikaru. Who knows? You might find someone you would want to marry yourself," his aunt said, again flashing her knowing smile. 

Lantis caught Eagle smirking, and gave his friend another good glare to wipe the silly grin from his face.  Eagle then looked away and started whistling. "Do as you wish, Auntie," Lantis said. His aunt knew what he really thought about Hikaru. To him, Hikaru was still his equal, especially now that he got to know her better. And yes, if things were different, he would have asked her to marry him. 'But…'

"Will you help me manage the preparations, Hikaru dear?" Aunt Felicity asked the girl beside her. 

"Yes Aunt Felicity."

"Lovely!"

"You will invite me, of course?" Eagle asked Hikaru. 

"Of course we will. How could we not invite the Earl's best friend?" Hikaru answered smiling. 

"I think it is time that we have our midday meal," Lantis said, changing the topic. "It had been a long time since we had a friendly game of chess, _don't you think so, my friend?"_

"Y-yes, a good idea!" Eagle said.

*          *          *

"Now, now Lantis. No reason to get annoyed with a mere slip of my tongue. Besides, she did not notice it," Eagle finally broke the silence between them as they  sat opposite each other, engrossed in the game of chess of which Lantis had challenged him.

"There are things that should be left unmentioned, Eagle. And that conversation we had ten years ago was one of them. Check."

Eagle looked at his pieces and rubbed his chin. After thinking it over, he finally made his move on the chessboard. "I admit my mistake. Forgive me. It was quite a surprise finding out that the girl you had planned to marry was Lady Hikaru herself. You were right; she had grown into a very lovely lady indeed."

"And your point?" Lantis asked as he moved his piece.

"My point, my dear friend, is that it would be a waste if you let her slip from your grasp, and into the arms of another man." 

"Things had changed."

"You said you wanted to marry her because you had found in her your equal, and in my opinion, that still has not changed. Check."

Lantis did not reply. Either he was contemplating on his next move or he was thinking of what his friend had told him. After a few moments of silence he finally made his move. "You are right."

"So you finally admit you are still very fond of her. You should ask her now."

"And if she agrees? The grief I carry would only hurt her."

"You are still thinking of your brother's death, are you not? Really Lantis, it had been a long time ago! You should let go of that grief, my friend.

 "I still cannot, Eagle…That is why I could not ask her...yet."

"Hikaru will not wait. Nor will I. Checkmate." Lantis shot his head up as soon he heard his friend. "I intend to marry her myself." Lantis lowered his head in defeat, and gripped on the arm of his chair tightly. 

"Forgive me, Lantis, but I had given you a chance."

"If that is your decision I will not stop you. As Hikaru's guardian you have my permission to visit her as you wish. You are my friend, Eagle…You still are. But if you ever do try to hurt her in any way possible, I will chase you down to the gates of Hell."

---------------------------

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here it is! And it's H/L/E now. Hehehehehe…ENJOY!!!

Queen of the Storms: waaaiii!!! here it is!!!

Silly*Niecy: Ahhh another reader to add to my collection...BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I am glad you like my fickie. And oh those poor mosquitos...I mean, poor u being bitten by all those nasty mosquitos.

bishounen lovah : hope this chappie answers your questions. and about that fic you were asking me about? i have no idea. hehehe.

krylancelo : hiya! am glad you like this one.

blackdragonofdeath13: thanks!

Midnight Blossom: You loved it? Awwwwwww...thanks a lot! *huggles*

GoddessLD: here it is...sorry it took so long...

LieskTenshi no Earth: I made this chappie longer. hope you like it.

Sanosuke Hidane: Why thank you!

Miemu Akari: and I thought that dialogue was too cheesy...hehehe.

Hagane: gomen! i made this chappie a bit longer now see?


	8. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I don't own MKR, CLAMP does. Am just one crazy fan. And all of these stuff I had written or will write is a product of my imagination and my imagination only....Yada...yada...Don't sue me.

**DESTINED TO BE**

**Chapter 7**

Several days had passed since Eagle had told Lantis his intention of marrying Hikaru.  It had also been days since Lantis had decided to avoid his ward—an action he had considered best for the situation.

So far, he had not succeeded. 

Lantis had tried his best; nobody could ever say he had not. But somehow everyday, Lantis would always end up being in the same area with her. They both live under the same roof after all. And despite of the fact that he wanted to avoid Hikaru, he did not want to be too far away. Hence leaving Zephyr's Loft even for a short period of time was out of the question. He felt it was his duty to make sure that Hikaru married a man who was worthy of her, not only because he was her guardian but also because he was very fond of her. If he had to give her up, it had to be to someone he knew he could trust.

And thus far, Eagle was the best candidate.

Lantis could not help but frown. Eagle, besides being an honorable man, was handsome and had a very charming personality. One would not deny that it was almost impossible for a woman not to be seduced by Eagle's charm. The fact that there was a great possibility that Hikaru would fall head over heels with Eagle made Lantis wonder how long it would take for her to do so.

'A couple of years? Would it be months? Definitely not just a couple of days! My Hikaru would not…' His musings suddenly made a complete halt. _His Hikaru? Since when did Hikaru become his?_

Lantis shook his head. Locking himself in his study the whole day might have done something to his brain. Deciding that sunlight might help, he opened the door to his balcony to enjoy the scenery…

…which ended to be a very bad idea.

He bit his lower lip, roughly brushed his hair with his hands and watched Hikaru, Mira and Eagle taking a walk in the gardens. His bloody friend had certainly not wasted his precious time! 

But then of course, he had been aware that Eagle would be like this. Eagle was a sneak who would immediately jump at the opportunity if offered to him. And that was exactly what his friend was doing now. Thus, Lantis harbored no ill feelings for Eagle. 

Suddenly, he heard someone knock on his study's door. "Come in!"

"Ah! Whatever are you doing here, locking yourself inside this dull room?" he heard his aunt's high-pitched voice as she approached him. 

"I had a lot of things to do," he answered her. 

"I can obviously see that," Aunt Felicity answered, with a hint of amusement in her voice. Lantis paled when he saw his aunt looking at Hikaru's direction. "I suppose you just decided to take a quick break, hmm?" Lantis did not answer. "Really, nephew! You had not been yourself lately. I could sense a spark of jealousy in you."

"You must be imagining things again, Auntie."

"I might be getting old, young man, but I can assure you I have not gone out of my mind! Beware of that tiny spark, Lantis, it might become one blazing fire if ignored," she warned him. His aunt then took a deep breath and then continued, "He had been visiting her more often these past few days. I would not be surprised if he asked for your permission to court her."

"He already had, Auntie."

"And you agreed."

"Yes."

"She is a wonderful girl, is she not? And he is such a charming young man. I can't wait to see them together at the ball! He would make a wonderful escort!"

"No, he will not escort her." Lantis said. His voice was calm, his face void of emotion. One would not even notice how firmly he had clutched his hands into tight fists at his sides.

"Why…Surely that would not be much of an issue?" 

"I gave him my permission to court her, not marry her. To make him her escort would make him think that he is most favored amongst all her suitors…" Lantis lied, discreetly avoiding his aunt's prying gaze by glancing towards Hikaru's direction. 

"You never cared about what the people might think or say, my dear nephew. Besides, he _is her only suitor as of now."_

Lantis looked straight into his aunt's smiling eyes, and uttered in a voice filled with confidence, "I will escort her."

"What?!" his aunt exclaimed.

"Why not? I am her guardian after all! _Surely that would not be an issue?_" Lantis said, emphasizing on Lady Felicity's previous statement.  

"Definitely not," Aunt Felicity answered, her lips curling into a smile. "And here I was thinking that you were avoiding her." She laughed out loud after seeing Lantis' eyes widen, and turned around. "Now that it's all settled, I'll have to go and talk to Julie about the menu we'll be serving. I will see you around, Lantis-dear." Lantis stood stupefied as he watched his aunt leave his study. 

As soon as he had recovered from his surprise, he muttered to himself, "So much for avoiding her. But then again…" His gaze shifted to the group's direction. Eagle might be the best choice for Hikaru for now, but that did not mean Lantis would let him have her that easily. Like any other suitor, Eagle would still have to be tested. Unfortunately for him, Lantis would take no exceptions, best friend or not. 

***

Hikaru smiled as she placed the flowery crown she had made on Mira's little head. The girl rewarded her with an expression of utter delight that warmed her heart. "Thank you Aunt Hikaru!" the child exclaimed. "Do I look beautiful now, Uncle Eagle?"

"Of course you do," Eagle answered with a lively chuckle. 

"Look! It's Uncle Lantis!" Mira said and then waved at the man coming towards them. "UNCLE LANTIS!"

It did not take long for Lantis to reach them. He knelt down as Mira reached out her hands, letting her give him a warm embrace, which he returned. Hikaru, on the other hand, could not help but stare at Lantis' display of affection to his niece. After all, he only did it with Mira, with whom he was obviously very fond of. He reminded her so much of her eldest brother, Satoru. 'Yes, even their smiles were the same…' She felt a pang of sadness as the thought of her dead brother crossed her mind…

"Are you alright?" she heard Eagle ask her.

"I…Yes, I am." Again she looked at Lantis, who was now standing up, his right hand held tightly by his young niece. Yes, he smiled at her once. It was when they first met, almost ten years ago…

---

_Hikaru__ could not help but be curious of their young visitor. So curious, in fact that she decided to follow him and her brothers after their mid-day meal. He politely declined her brother's invitation to go back to the fencing hall for some reason, and was now sitting comfortably on the grass-covered ground with his back leaning against the trunk behind him._

_He seemed to be asleep, so she decided to take a closer look. She slightly raised her skirt, and tiptoed her way towards him. She raised her hand in front of his face and repeatedly moved it up and down._

_"If you are trying to see if I am asleep, I am not," he suddenly spoke._

_ "Whaaa—!!!" she exclaimed as she stumbled backwards out of surprise. _

_"Hey! Careful there!" he said. He had only managed to support her head and her back from hitting the ground, however, leaving her half-lying and half-sitting on the ground._

_"Are you alright? Can you stand?"_

_"Yes, I can…" She stood up, and then rubbed her slightly aching bottom. "Thank you."_

_ "Be careful next time," he muttered as he resumed to his former position. _

_Hikaru__ moved closer to him, sat on the ground and just stared at young man in front of her. "What are you doing?" she finally asked._

_He opened his right eye and asked, "What?"_

_"You were not sleeping, but your eyes were closed. What were you doing then?"_

_Lantis__ sighed, opened his other eye and answered, "Relaxing."_

_"Oh." It was only then that she noticed his unusually deep, violet eyes._

_"Your name is Hikaru, isn't it?"_

_Hikaru__ blinked and then answered, "Yes. What is your name?"_

_"You can call me Lantis."_

_"All right Lantis," Hikaru smiled, wiped her right hand on her skirt and offered it for a handshake, which he accepted. "You are my friend now then!"_

_"Your… friend?" he asked, raising his eyebrow._

_"Why? Don't you like to be my friend?" She frowned. _

_"Well, it's not that…"_

_"Good! We're friends now!" she declared, very much proud of herself. _

_"Oh, alright then."__ There was a silence between them for a while. "You fence quite well."_

_"My father is a good teacher."_

_"Hmm, I heard he is a good swordsman."_

_"Do you also fence?" She watched him nod as an answer. "I challenge you for a match then!" _

_"Didn't your father teach you that it is not appropriate to start fencing matches at mere whim?"_

_"It's just a friendly match that's all." Hikaru pouted and crossed her arms. _

_Her new friend sat silently for a few minutes and then spoke. "Here's a deal. We'll have the match the next time we see each other. How does that sound?"_

_"Is that a promise?" she asked, still doubtful._

_"Yes, it's a promise," he said._

_"Thank you, Lantis!" she exclaimed, giving him a warm smile._

_"You have to train hard then. I will not let you beat me easily," he said, smiling at her for the first and last time._

---

And train hard she did, always looking forward for the day that she would see her friend again. Eventually, as the years went by, she had learned to accept the fact that Lantis might have forgotten her and his promise. 

"Aunt Hikaru made me a crown. See?" Mira asked.

"It's lovely, Mira."

"Glad you finally decided to join us, Lantis," Eagle said. "Unfortunately, it is time for me to leave." He took her hand and kissed it, "Goodbye, Lady Hikaru." He then gave his friend a quick nod as he said, "Goodbye, Lantis." 

"Goodbye, Uncle Eagle."

"Goodbye, Mira," Eagle said, ruffling the child's hair.  

Hikaru stood silently as they watch Eagle leave. As soon as he was out of sight, she turned to her young guardian and started to say, "Lantis…" 

"Yes Hikaru?"

Hikaru took a deep breath. "I think it's time for you to fulfill your promise to me." She met his gaze and noticed a spark of recognition in his eyes. 'Could it be?'

He was silent for a while, just looking at her, and then said, "Very well then. Tomorrow. But as I said, I would not let you beat me that easily." And after ten long years, he smiled at her again.

--------*------*

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ahh I dunno how all these ideas came to me! But well..I think it's quite nice. Just enuff doze of fluffiness :P. Lantis is sort of acting weird these days ^.^;; I wonder why… Ohohohoo! 

choo - sure! thanks for reading this. :)

Hikaru-1989 - sorry for the long wait. i hope this one is worth it.and well i didn't mean the OOC...maybe a lil bit...but its great that you liked it still!

blazingIcEph0eniX - hiya hikaru-chan! am glad you like my fiction.

hagane - glad you liked this one better. 

Queen of the Storms - ahhh i made you wait too long again i think...sorry!

Silly*Niecy - whoa there! let's make it one chappie at a time shall we? hehehe. 

bishlov - another chappie wiff some baka-lantis musings. 

Miemu Akari - a love-triangle would make it more interesting ne?

GoddessLD - the H/L still stands true and will never ever change :P

LieskTenshi no Earth - *scratches her head* was it? well am glad it became clearer for you later on...

BooBoo - i love you! thanks!

Sackerie - ahhehehehe ^.^;;


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